What Can I Watch With My 14-Year-Old?

Are you trying to figure out what to watch next? (Or maybe what TV show to give up on completely?) Watching is here to help. Send your questions to watching@nytimes.com.

What series can a 14-year-old binge watch that parents might enjoy (or reminisce about) at the same time? We’ve already gone through “One Tree Hill,” “Pretty Little Liars” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” I thought about “My So-Called Life,” but we can’t think of others. — Karen

I think many 14-year-olds are ready for “grown-up” shows. Not exclusively, and maybe not every show, depending on their particular sensitivities, but this is more a question of what your teen is interested in and what he or she likes.

My favorite shows when I was 14 were “Chicago Hope,” “The X-Files,” “Melrose Place,” “E.R.,” and “N.Y.P.D. Blue.” Other than “Melrose Place,” those are shows my parents liked as well. A few months ago I asked people on Twitter what their favorite shows were when they were 13, and overwhelmingly people mentioned “grown-up” shows: “Ally McBeal,” “Cheers,” “Night Court,” even “20/20.” There are tons of great teen shows out there, but this might be an opportunity to bond with your teen over some genuine adult shows.

So! It sounds as though your family enjoys melodrama and soaps. What about “Downton Abbey”? In the later seasons, there’s an instance of sexual violence, but there’s sexual violence on “One Tree Hill,” too. For contemporary shows, “Jane the Virgin” is both soapy and sweetly wholesome — a telenovela, but with the biggest heart in the least-saccharine way — and “Empire” is more on the steamy, scheming side. “Once Upon a Time” strikes me as the kind of show 13- or 14-year-olds might like, but it has some negative attitudes about adoption, which might not be a great fit for your family. “Supernatural” also has quite the teen following (and about a billion episodes), but it also has plenty of adult appeal if you like occult stories and procedurals.

“Friday Night Lights” is among our most recommended shows here at Watching, and it seems like an appropriate show for younger viewers: People are encouraged to make ethical decisions with the help of supportive adults, which is a good message for us all. If you’re looking for teen-centric shows in particular, there are a lot of good ones, but based on what you’ve mentioned so far, I suggest starting with “The O.C.,” “Gossip Girl” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

What about comedies? “Parks and Recreation” and the American version of “The Office” both seem to enjoy a surprisingly robust teen viewership (based on Tumblrs alone). And if you think you can explain the dated gay-panic references, “Friends” feels like an easy choice, too.

Finally, this is a movie, not a TV show, but “Clueless” is still the best, and all humans should at least give it a try.